OBJECTIVES : Alcohol use is a significant public health concern. The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological disease burden of mental and behavioural disorders related to use of alcohol.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual patient numbers, case numbers and prevalence of care utilisation per 100,000 population according to age groups and sex. The following health insurance treatment categories were included into our study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, drugs and medical aids. Patients with mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: F10.

RESULTS : The highest national patient numbers were found in outpatient care: 40,295 men, 11,594 women, in total 51,889 patients, followed by general practice care (21,948 men, 5,400 women, in total 27,348 patients), and use of pharmaceuticals (11,052 men, 3,125 women, in total 14,177 patients). Based on patient numbers relating to outpatient care, prevalence in 100,000 among men was 862,6 patients, among women 227,0, in total 530,7 patients. Regarding sex, in case of outpatient care 77.7 % were men, 22.3 % were women, while in general practice care 80.3 % were men and 19.7 % were women.

CONCLUSIONS : Prevalence of the disease was 3.8-times higher among men than among women. Prevention plays a considerable role in reducing alcohol use. Effective prevention measures target the individual, and include complex strategies at the level of healthcare and that of the society as well.